The ActionGlow Brothers + One: Living the Dream with New Shark Tank Partner Robert Herjavec

The party’s over but the show’s just begun.

It was November 18, 2022, the airing of the ActionGlow brothers’ presentation at the much-heralded Shark Tank.  Over 150 family, friends, mentors, videographers, reporters, and photographers slogged through a road-closing foot of snow to the venerable, 130-year-old Traverse City Opera House to join ActionGlow brothers Garret and Dakota Porter.    

They assembled with nervous excitement about what the Sharks might say and do as the 8 p.m. air-time neared.  And then, relieved, toasting and rejoicing after seeing on the main screen that the Porter boys had once again homered, clearing the bases by bringing Shark Tank original Robert Herjavec to their team as a 30 percent owner for a $200,000 investment in their business.  

Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and Kevin (Mr. Wonderful) O’Leary had been interested, polite and complimentary in stepping away.  While it didn’t make the TV airing, Cuban remarked “Wow, you guys really know your s…!”  Barbara Corcoran, was a holdout, calling the ActionGlow team “crazy” for not launching into social media and jumping sales, despite the brother’s concern over keeping pace with assembly and delivery if they had prematurely pumped the social media accelerator.  But Herjavec, an ideal fit from the beginning, jumped on the ActionGlow train as the Shark most invested in technology. 

“We’re over the moon happy,” said Dakota. 

“It was teary,” Garret reflects.  “Ten years of work.  Pushing through good and difficult times, but always with help and encouragement from so many including every single person in that room.  From selling lemonade and hand-carved walking sticks to getting patent approval to selling and assembling ActionGlow ourselves and through three, yes three, failed Shark Tank attempts.   Now, success that we could share with everyone.  We’re on cloud nine.  And so grateful, so fortunate.” 

Egoless and generous all at once, the young Porters bask in the help, goodwill and old-fashioned love of the many who they credit with much of their success. 

Like their foundation of family: 84-year-old grandma, Linda Hevia Ranta, known as “Granny,” and their parents Cristina and Dane Porter who joined in the victory as well as the tears.  They were and are in it for the long haul.  

Garret Porter celebrates with “Granny” Linda Hevia Ranta at the November 18th viewing party.

And like Allie Graziano and Georgia Cogsdill, extraordinarily talented women-friends of the ActionGlow brothers, who stood by for months in long-distance relationships that endured. 

Like friends and supporters T.J. Darling and Jensen Diment who traveled from Los Angeles and Marquette, respectively, to share the suspense and thunderous cheer at the Opera House.

And those in the trenches, like Kylie Davis, a manager of physician schedules by day, moonlighting doing the same for these young and ever grateful rock stars.

And there was Harrison Beeby, TV 7&4 reporter (an ABC affiliate, the same network that produces Shark Tank), and son of the late Northwestern Michigan College professor George Beeby, who taught and mentored the Porter’s toward success.  With shared emotion and memories, Beeby was first to interview the Porter’s after the Shark Tank airing, asking questions that sparked the emotions of all, recounting memories that had brought them together on this momentous night.

The impact of that Shark Tank evening has a long way to play out.

Orders started to flow within 60 seconds of the Opera House opening their doors.  There were more sales that evening than during the entirety of 2021.  Hundreds of emails, voice mails and chats continue to fire in from all angles and locations.  More orders, more product ideas, more offers of help all met with thanks and gratitude from Garett and Dakota.  The new web site performed as intended, even though Dakota was still loading products four minutes before the Opera House doors swung open.

While nearly ready to abandon the slow-selling ActionGlow bicycle kit, the evening brought that idea to an abrupt about-face.  It has now taken over as the top seller.  Message after message called out for a kit for “one-wheels,” that are rapidly taking over sidewalks, schoolyards, and walking paths nationwide, often after dark. 

Awaiting word from Herjavec and his team, the Porters are eager for marketing support while ramping up controls to ensure quality manufacturing, an inventory replenishment process and an aggressive, organized sales approach using social media.

A primary provider of business capital for years, Laura Galbraith, President of Venture North Funding and Development, inquired if more capital would be needed to keep pace with sales before the partnership with Herjavec took full effect.

“We sure don’t want them to fall short of demand,” Galbraith said.  “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, too.  We're proud and privileged to be part of it.”

“We can’t wait to round out the team with Robert,” Dakota says.   “On the retail front, we think Dick’s Sporting Goods may be an ideal fit.  We’re so fortunate to have Robert joining us with his understanding of technology and his experience with marketing and scaling up a business.”

Even as Dakota and Garret prepare for the next ActionGlow chapter, they sustain a focus on paying things forward.

“When we go on our summer ActionGlow bus tour we want to talk about our product and introduce it to new markets, including small, niche retailers,” said Dakota, “But we also want to listen and talk with young entrepreneurs.   We want to help and encourage them and stand with them when we can.”

“In telling our story we want to encourage young, aspiring businesspeople to be strong in rising up over discouragement,” says Garret.  “Embrace people who can help.  Don’t lose your sense of humor.  Try new things and work, work, work.”  

“And don’t forget to call your mom and dad,” they say in unison. “They will always be in the light of our show.”